Eating Disorders and Your Fear of Getting “Fat”

Eating Disorders and Your Fear of Getting “Fat”

Eating disorders cause you to have this belief there is something wrong with your body. You believe that your body is not good enough, pretty enough, or thin enough. An eating disorder causes you to be consumed with losing weight. I commonly hear my clients say they fear getting “fat”. Eating causes an intense fear that you will gain weight and that your body will be different. This fear controls you each day telling you to not eat because gaining weight or changing your body means there is something inherently wrong with you. I know this because I have also felt this way. I was afraid to eat because I did not want to gain weight or change my body in anyway. This feels likes a living hell because you are torn between eating for life and then when you eat you are tortured in your mind.

An eating disorder causes a constant battle between your mind and your will. You understand food is necessary, it is possible you are hungry, but despite that your mind tells you really terrible things about yourself. Your mind calls you a pig, lazy, and no good. You don’t want to hear these things so you choose not to eat. You don’t want to fight this internal battle when you choose to eat for your health.

Eating disorders cause you to fear gaining weight. This fear keeps people from asking from help. You fear when you eat you will gain weight and you will lose your value. Then you will no longer be good enough and so you suffer alone.

Getting help to fight this internal battle will not cause you to gain weight. Help is there to help you deal with the upsetting thoughts and emotions. Help is there to help you learn to love yourself despite your weight and what your body looks like.

You don’t have to live in hell and in this sucky place anymore. You can learn to like yourself, better yet you can learn to love yourself. You can learn to fight the battle of your mind and not feel tortured for caring for your body and your mind.

If you need help and support it is available to you. Here is a toll free number you can call for that support and help. You can call the National Eating Disorder Hotline at 1-800-931-2237. You can end the battle in your mind. Help may just be a phone call away.

* Dr. Stephanie Waitt, LPC is a psychotherapist in private practice in Sherman, Texas. Stephanie works with young and successful women to help restore balance and peace. She specializes in working with individuals with eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, and depression